Cathode ray tubes have dominated the display industry for over 70 years but the demand for better quality devices has promoted technology development. Consumers call for suitably priced displays with improved features. Nanotechnology, an emerging approach to upgrade flat displays, improves the performance and quality while taking environmental aspects into account. It also provides novel features such as foldability and flexibility.

The briefing on flat panel displays technologies produced by Spinverse examines a group of emerging nano-enabled display types that aim to replace conventional displays, such as CCFL-backlit LCDs. The report provides information on technological and economic issues and also discusses various challenges these new technologies face before they will enter the market.

Several competing display technologies have recently emerged to satisfy the needs of the display industry. One important aspect is also the replacement of the widely used problematic indium tin oxide with CNT or graphene. New nano-enabled technologies offer significantly improved features compared to the conventional displays. The largest barriers inhibiting the market entry of the technologies assessed in the briefing are manufacturing readiness, cost, and the dominance of existing LCD technology.

Nanotechnology enabled displays will enter the market in a few years

By the introduction of novel technologies, EU has a good chance of re‐entering the display industry. There is a high level of expertise present in European companies and research organizations. However, experts believe that Europe’s largest competitive edge is not in manufacturing but in provision and development of new technologies through which Europe would share the market benefits.

The ObservatoryNANO project is funded under FP7 for four years from April 1st 2008 and includes 16 partners from 10 European States. Its primary aim is to support European decision-makers with information and analysis on developments in nanoscience and nanotechnology (N&N). The final goal of the ObservatoryNANO project is to establish a permanent European Observatory on Nanotechnologies, to provide ongoing, independent support to decision-makers.